Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Well things have been picking up in work recently, we've had quite a few schools interested in working with us, and we've also had some positive feedback from ForMums.net!

Formums.net was set up by a Chiswick mum and is a “unique directory of information for Chiswick mums with children of all ages, from bump to leaving home. Covering activities, classes, children's services, shopping, events and more, it's everything a Chiswick mum needs to know!”

Looking around the site, it's clear to see that it really does have everything a Chiswick mum would need to know, it's a professional and dedicated resource centre! It includes sections on children’s parties, kids’ activities, sport, education and a detailed shopping guide to local outlets.

The ForMums “Feature” section is particularly useful. It contains a monthly item called “Introducing...” rwhereForMums will introduce a business or services for parents (e.g. local fitness centres such as The Park Club) & children (e.g. Gymboree Play & Music), which they think will really add to the local community. It also has its own blog which provides information on activities in the local area, such as skiing, fetes, ideas to keep the kids entertained during school holidays and also helpful advice such as “Baby on a budget”. The latest post informs parents about various ways of reducing the cost of bringing a newborn into the world, which is very handy as I know how the cost soon adds up. I was shocked when one of my friends told me last year she was having twins, and after she showed me some of the items she had to buy – obviously being double the cost, I decided that I should probably start saving...five years ago!

One of the ways in which you can help to reduce the cost in bringing up a child, is to buy items second hand. The ForMums.net site offers a section called “Pre-Loved” where local mums can register (which is free) and advertise the items they want to sell/buy. Items include:

Clothes

Equipment

Furniture

Indoor Toys & Hobbies

Maternity

Outdoor Toys & Hobbies

To add to the community spirit, there's a member newsletter which is currently sent to over four-hundred mums to keep them informed of information and events in the area. There's also a Community section, where local mums can look for and request help and advice on a range of topics from pregnancy to teenagers, and work to holidays and travel. This is really useful as it provides information that is localised to the area such as the going rate for babysitting in Chiswick. It also has a nice feeling of empathy as its members are able to convey their thoughts to people in similar situations to themselves – almost as friendly agony aunts!

All in all, I think it's a very good site, and it's nice to see such a dedicated team providing this information too. Even if you're not from Chiswick, it's still worth having a look as you still may find some good ideas for activities to do with your own kids!

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About Me

My Name is Liz, I started working for an under 18s website called GreatBritishKids.com back in October 2011. Due to the nature of the site, I'm interested in the other children's websites out there and how they compare to GBK.

Using the internet and websites such Myspace and Yahoo! chat myself from the age of 12, I am well aware of the kinds of dangers out there for kids and the potential dangers they face everytime they log on.
That is why I've got a keen interest into how other under 18 websites operate regarding their safety for children & teens. The articles I will be posting here will mainly be about reviewing the other sites and finding out what your opinions are on them, if there are any sites you'd like me to review and of course what your opinions are of GBK.com. If you'd like more info on GBK.com then by all means leave me a comment & I'll get back to you ASAP or have a look at their site for their safety features.